Brand Equity

  TOP STORIES

A Real Stake In Your Customers

How an Ohio marketing firm uses stock to keep employees focused on clients

Wal-Mart's Luxury Problem

French design house LVMH's Fendi files suit, claiming that counterfeit Fendi leather goods are being sold at Wal-Mart's Sam's Club unit

McDonald's Chinese Take-Out

The fast-food empire was built on just a few menu items. But these days regional tastes are key, so step up for shrimp burgers and fried-rice patties

Coca-Cola, is the Legend Enough?

The soft drink giant is broadening its flavor spectrum with a low-calorie, caffeinated drink -- it's a crossover, not an energy drink

Toyota's European Beachhead

For the sixth year in a row, J.D. Power's annual ranking of British car owners puts the Japanese carmaker's Lexus marque squarely at the top

Target's Trendmaster Keeps Moving

Robyn Waters may have left the discount chain, but she's perpetually on the lookout for what the next waves of fashion will bring

Budweiser Butts in on Bitburger

Anheuser-Busch has exclusive rights to sell beer at the World Cup this year in Germany, but local fans want a local brew

Putting Krups Back in the Mix

Designer Konstantin Grcic explains how he used visual cues to help the German company's home appliances stand out from the competition
Slide Show: A Krups in the Kitchen

China's Drive for Local Car Brands

Striking out on their own, auto makers are planning to bring Chinese nameplates to car lots in the U.S. and Europe

India: A Hot Brand Climate?

Branding expertise is low in India, but with the consumer goods sector growing at an unprecedented rate, homegrown brands have to catch up

Miller Brewing: It's Norman Time

Miller Brewing's turnaround is a tale of how a charismatic leader has motivated a complacent workforce
Plus: Inside the "Able Challenger" Strategy
Slide Show: Miller Brewing -- Inside the Cooler

Apple and Nike, Running Mates

iPod-compatible footwear that tracks runners' training routines is just the beginning of a collaboration between these iconic brands

Metrosexuals: A Well-Groomed Market?

A new generation of men thinks it's okay to spend money on personal grooming products and the companies that make them are happy to oblige

  BRAND PROFILES

The Craziest Ad Guys In America

Inside Crispin Porter + Bogusky's wacky, ambitious plan to rekindle our love affair with Volkswagen
Slide Show: Crispin Porter: Ads Worth Watching

WestJet Airlines -- High Times

This carrier competes with Air Canada by treating customers as valued guests entitled to a friendly and fun-filled flight

Ocean Spray's Creative Juices

How it's feeding growth with new cranberry products
Slide Show: Turning Cranberries Into Cash

The Ascent of Airness Apparel

The six-year-old label has overtaken famous rivals like Le Coq Sportif to become France's best-selling native sportswear brand

Can Starbucks Blend into France?

The coffee chain is staging a French invasion, and it's looking to triumph in the ultimate café nation

Hog Heaven in Beijing

Prices may be out of reach for many, but Harley-Davidson is betting that Chinese bikers will soon be hitting the highways
Slide Show: A Look at Nine Mighty Motorcycles

Zara: Taking the Lead in Fast-Fashion

When it comes to quick response to clothing trends, this Spanish retailer is beating the pants off H&M; and everyone else

High Time for Tea in America

A beverage war is brewing, thanks in part to the Republic of Tea. The company's message is about "slowing down," but its sales are heating up

Starbucks: Selling the American Bean

How the coffee giant is turning around its image overseas

  INDUSTRY TRENDS

Commerce and Culture: an Artful Alliance

Corporate sponsorships of museums and exhibitions benefit both partners. It works best when the public sees the connection

Brand Magic in India

Expanding a brand into a new market isn't just about translating the tagline. The best way to succeed is to study local tastes closely
Plus: Nurturing Success in India

The Boomlet in Baby News

As Mad Ave targets affluent parents, baby mads and their Web rivals are reinventing the category

China's Online Ad Boom

The growth of the Net, especially among kids, is powering an overnight shift in spending

Branding in Public: Waste of Money?

Does branding deliver real information or is it a needless expense? The public sector should stick with simple brands and stronger sub-brands

Mining the Golden Years

An aging population of consumers calls for products that suit its needs. For starters, lose the hard-to-open packaging

Building Good Web Buzz

New online businesses find blogging and partnering with other sites effective ways to generate traffic

Tying Down Viewers' Eyeballs

Technology that prevents viewers from skipping ads may be only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to ways of making you sit through commercials

Companies In The Crossfire

The politically passionate are taking aim at businesses they see as repugnant. Red or blue, they can be a PR nightmare
Slide Show: My Brand, My Cause

Bet You Can't TiVo Past This

Companies aren't just pitching their wares on shows, they're producing them too

Picture Your Business with a Logo

Logoworks.com creates affordable logos and identities for small businesses. Doing most of the work online keeps it cheap

Adidas' World Cup Shutout

U.S. fans of soccer's big event will see only Adidas ads on television. Nike's response: A MySpace-style site for soccer nuts

Note to Telecoms: Rebrand or Die

Brand wiz Ron Pompei discusses the merger of AT&T; and BellSouth -- and how the entire industry needs to rethink its strategies

Building Brands In China

Companies in the Middle Kingdom are starting to develop their own design language, says branding expert Craig Branigan

  MARKETING

I Sold It Through The Grapevine

Not even small talk is sacred anymore. P&G; has enlisted a stealth army of 600,000 moms who chat up its products

BMW Targets New Drivers

A new ad campaign from the carmaker de-emphasizes the brand's performance to attract a wider, affluent audience

Detergent Can Be So Much More

P&G;'s new ads strive to "stake out the emotional high ground"

Now Playing On Your Cell Phone

Advertisers are jumping on the mobile marketing bandwagon. Will subscribers join them?

Senses Cue Brand Recognition

Does a chocolate claiming to induce euphoria have the right idea? Or is sensory marketing just another passing fad?

Getting Creative With Mad Ave

To find the right agency, MINI Cooper devised a quirky trial-by-immersion

Hot Shops: Retail Revamps

Drawing in consumers means studying their lifestyles and creating destinations where they delight in spending leisure time

  OTHER INNOVATION AND DESIGN STORIES

Mickey D's McMakeover

The heavy plastic look is history. A clean, simple design is on the way in
Slide Show: McDonald's Tricky Makeover

The Look We Love

From his "I ♥ New York" logo to magazine redesigns to designs of dissent, Milton Glaser has left an indelible mark

Speed Demons

How smart companies are creating new products -- and whole new businesses -- almost overnight

Creative Competition in Furniture Design

In New York, May means the International Contemporary Furniture Fair and exposure for new design talent -- this year with a juried show

Sonic's Creator Spins Out of Sega

Yuji Naka, the man behind the company's ubiquitous hedgehog, is striking out on his own. But Sega will still enjoy access to his talents